How to Apply to Restaurant Brands Intl

9 min read Last updated April 20, 2026 106 open positions
Blake Crosley
Blake Crosley Researched using publicly available information, hiring data, and ATS analysis.

Key Takeaways

  • RBI is a franchisor, not an operator — the corporate team sets strategy, builds systems, and supports 30,000+ franchise restaurants rather than running individual locations. Tailor your narrative to strategic and scalable impact.
  • The 3G Capital operating philosophy (meritocracy, ownership, zero-based budgeting) permeates every layer of RBI. Demonstrating alignment with these principles is as important as technical qualifications.
  • Applications flow through a Phenom-powered career site into Workday ATS. Use clean formatting, standard section headers, and keyword alignment with the job description to maximize parse accuracy.
  • Expect three to five interview rounds over two to four weeks, including a recruiter screen, hiring manager deep-dive, cross-functional peer panels, and an HRBP cultural-fit assessment.
  • Behavioral questions using the STAR method are the backbone of RBI interviews. Prepare five to seven detailed stories covering ambiguity, resource constraints, stakeholder influence, and measurable results.
  • Industry knowledge is a genuine differentiator — research QSR trends, franchise economics, digital ordering, and competitive positioning across Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes, and Firehouse Subs before your interview.
  • RBI's Leadership Development Program (LDP) is a premier early-career pipeline with a structured case-study super day, real project ownership during the internship, and strong return-offer rates for top performers.
  • The company is investing heavily in technology, with dedicated engineering and data teams building consumer-facing digital platforms, loyalty systems, and AI-driven personalization across all four brands.
  • Equity participation and performance-based compensation mean high performers are rewarded as business partners, not just employees — this is a core part of RBI's retention and motivation strategy.

About Restaurant Brands Intl

Restaurant Brands International (RBI) is one of the world's largest quick-service restaurant companies, formed in 2014 through the merger of Burger King and Tim Hortons. The deal was orchestrated by 3G Capital, the Brazilian private-equity firm founded by Jorge Paulo Lemann, with a $3 billion preferred-equity injection from Berkshire Hathaway. RBI expanded its portfolio by acquiring Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen in 2017 for $1.8 billion and Firehouse Subs in 2021 for approximately $1 billion, bringing its brand count to four iconic chains that collectively span more than 30,000 restaurants across over 120 countries and territories. Headquartered at 130 King Street West in Toronto, Ontario, RBI also maintains major corporate offices in Miami and several international hubs including Zug (Switzerland) and Singapore. The company trades on the NYSE and TSX under the ticker QSR and generates roughly $9.4 billion in trailing-twelve-month revenue, with system-wide sales exceeding $40 billion annually. Corporate headcount sits in the range of 4,000 to 5,000 employees who support a franchise network that employs hundreds of thousands globally. RBI operates primarily as a franchisor: it licenses its brands, supplies, and operational playbooks to independent franchise operators while retaining strategic control over menu innovation, marketing, technology, and supply-chain management. The company's culture is heavily influenced by the 3G Capital operating philosophy, which emphasizes meritocracy, ownership mentality, zero-based budgeting, and ambitious goal-setting. Employees are encouraged to behave as owners rather than hired staff, and compensation structures are designed to give team members meaningful equity participation as they grow. This creates a high-performance, results-oriented environment where career advancement is driven by demonstrated impact rather than tenure or title. RBI's technology organization is a growing priority, with dedicated teams building digital ordering platforms, loyalty programs, data analytics pipelines, and restaurant management systems that serve all four brands. The company has been investing in AI-driven personalization, mobile-app experiences, and back-of-house automation to modernize the quick-service industry. For professionals in finance, marketing, supply chain, technology, legal, and operations, RBI offers the scale of a Fortune 500 company with the pace and directness of a lean, ownership-driven culture.

Application Process

  1. 1
    Visit careers

    Visit careers.rbi.com and search for roles by function, location, or brand. RBI's career site is powered by Phenom and routes applications into Workday, so creating a Workday profile is required to complete your submission.

  2. 2
    Submit your application with a tailored resume and optional cover letter

    Submit your application with a tailored resume and optional cover letter. Use standard formatting — Workday's parser handles reverse-chronological layouts with clear section headers best. Avoid graphics, tables, or multi-column designs that can break ATS parsing.

  3. 3
    A recruiter conducts a 30-minute phone or video screening to discuss your backgr

    A recruiter conducts a 30-minute phone or video screening to discuss your background, salary expectations, and motivation for joining RBI. Expect questions about why you are drawn to the quick-service restaurant industry and what you know about RBI's brands.

  4. 4
    The hiring manager leads a 45-to-60-minute interview focused on technical compet

    The hiring manager leads a 45-to-60-minute interview focused on technical competence and role-specific scenarios. For analytical roles, this round often includes a live case study or data exercise; for marketing and operations roles, expect a portfolio walkthrough or strategic-thinking assessment.

  5. 5
    One to two additional rounds follow with cross-functional peers, a director or V

    One to two additional rounds follow with cross-functional peers, a director or VP, and an HR Business Partner. These rounds evaluate behavioral competencies using the STAR method and assess cultural alignment with RBI's ownership mentality and meritocratic values.

  6. 6
    Senior-level candidates may participate in a 'super day' with back-to-back meeti

    Senior-level candidates may participate in a 'super day' with back-to-back meetings with leadership across brands and functions. For the Leadership Development Program (LDP), this includes a formal case-study presentation and behavioral panel.

  7. 7
    Final offers typically arrive within one to three weeks of the last interview

    Final offers typically arrive within one to three weeks of the last interview. RBI emphasizes speed in decision-making and usually communicates outcomes within the timeline discussed during the recruiter screen.

Resume Tips for Restaurant Brands Intl

recommended

Lead with quantified business impact: RBI's meritocratic culture means they valu

Lead with quantified business impact: RBI's meritocratic culture means they value measurable outcomes over job descriptions. Include metrics like revenue influenced, cost savings achieved, percentage improvements, or team sizes managed.

recommended

Mirror RBI's language: weave terms like 'ownership mentality,' 'zero-based budge

Mirror RBI's language: weave terms like 'ownership mentality,' 'zero-based budgeting,' 'franchise operations,' 'system-wide sales,' and 'quick-service restaurant' naturally into your experience descriptions to signal industry fluency.

recommended

Highlight cross-functional collaboration: RBI's lean corporate structure means e

Highlight cross-functional collaboration: RBI's lean corporate structure means employees regularly work across brands and functions. Show examples where you partnered with finance, marketing, operations, or technology teams to deliver results.

recommended

Demonstrate scrappiness and resourcefulness: 3G Capital's operating philosophy p

Demonstrate scrappiness and resourcefulness: 3G Capital's operating philosophy prizes doing more with less. Frame achievements in terms of efficiency gains, process improvements, or creative solutions with constrained resources.

recommended

Use a clean, single-column format with standard section headers (Experience, Edu

Use a clean, single-column format with standard section headers (Experience, Education, Skills) for Workday ATS compatibility. Avoid headers in text boxes, embedded images, or non-standard fonts that may not parse correctly.

recommended

Include global or multi-market experience prominently: with operations in 120+ c

Include global or multi-market experience prominently: with operations in 120+ countries, RBI values candidates who have worked across geographies, cultures, or regulatory environments.

recommended

For technology roles, emphasize experience with scalable consumer platforms, mob

For technology roles, emphasize experience with scalable consumer platforms, mobile applications, data engineering, cloud infrastructure (AWS/GCP), or restaurant technology systems. RBI's tech team supports digital ordering across four global brands.

recommended

Tailor your resume for each specific role rather than submitting a generic versi

Tailor your resume for each specific role rather than submitting a generic version. RBI recruiters screen for direct relevance to the job description, and Workday's keyword-matching algorithms surface resumes that closely align with posted requirements.

ATS System: Workday (with Phenom CMS front-end)

RBI uses Workday as its core applicant tracking system, hosted at rbi.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com. The candidate-facing career site at careers.rbi.com is powered by Phenom People's CareerConnect platform, which provides job search, discovery, and engagement features before routing applications into Workday for recruiter review, interview scheduling, and offer management. This dual-platform setup means your resume must parse cleanly through both Phenom's intake layer and Workday's internal screening tools.

  • Use a single-column, text-based resume layout — Workday's parser struggles with multi-column designs, text boxes, headers/footers, and embedded images.
  • Include standard section headers like 'Experience,' 'Education,' and 'Skills' exactly as expected — Workday maps content to candidate profiles using these labels.
  • Mirror keywords from the job description in your resume — Workday's screening algorithms match candidate profiles against requisition requirements using keyword relevance.
  • Save your resume as a .docx or .pdf file — Workday handles both formats, but .docx tends to parse more reliably for complex formatting.
  • Complete all fields in the Workday application form even if they duplicate resume content — recruiters filter candidates using structured fields, not just the uploaded document.
  • Create a Workday account to track your application status — RBI's system sends automated updates, but logging in directly provides the most current information.

Complete Workday (with Phenom CMS front-end) Resume Guide →

Interview Culture

Interviewing at Restaurant Brands International reflects the company's 3G Capital heritage: direct, performance-focused, and designed to identify candidates who can thrive in a high-ownership environment. The overall interview difficulty is rated as medium on Glassdoor (3.1 out of 5), but the process is thorough, typically spanning three to five rounds over two to four weeks. Around 63 percent of candidates report a positive interview experience. Behavioral questions dominate most rounds and are firmly rooted in the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Interviewers want concrete examples, not hypothetical answers. Common themes include navigating ambiguity, managing competing priorities under tight deadlines, influencing without direct authority, and delivering results with limited resources. Expect questions like: 'Tell me about a time you had to make a decision with incomplete data,' 'Describe a project where you had to challenge a senior stakeholder,' or 'Walk me through how you prioritized when everything was urgent.' Case studies and analytical exercises are standard for finance, strategy, and marketing roles. These may involve evaluating a franchise expansion opportunity, modeling unit economics for a new menu item, or developing a go-to-market plan for a brand initiative. The LDP program includes a formal case presentation to senior leadership as part of its super-day format. Cultural fit is assessed deliberately throughout the process — the inclusion of an HR Business Partner interview in most hiring loops is specifically designed to evaluate alignment with RBI's values of ownership, meritocracy, and ambitious goal-setting. Interviewers pay close attention to whether candidates demonstrate humility, intellectual curiosity, and a bias toward action. The company explicitly looks for people who are 'driven, hardworking, and good people' — a phrase that appears repeatedly in RBI's employer branding. One distinctive aspect of RBI interviews is the emphasis on industry awareness. Candidates are expected to have informed opinions about quick-service restaurant trends, competitive dynamics among major QSR brands, digital transformation in foodservice, and consumer behavior shifts. Showing genuine enthusiasm for the restaurant industry — not just the corporate role — is a meaningful differentiator. The interview culture is collegial but substantive. Multiple interviewers share feedback through a structured debrief process, and the team values diverse perspectives in hiring decisions. Dress code for interviews aligns with RBI's business-casual office culture, though erring slightly more formal is always safe for initial rounds.

What Restaurant Brands Intl Looks For

  • Ownership mentality — candidates who treat business problems as their own rather than waiting for direction, and who demonstrate accountability for outcomes, not just activities.
  • Quantified impact — a track record of delivering measurable results, whether in revenue growth, cost reduction, process improvement, or team performance.
  • Entrepreneurial scrappiness — the ability to accomplish ambitious goals with lean resources, reflecting the 3G Capital zero-based-budgeting philosophy that runs through RBI's DNA.
  • Cross-functional agility — comfort working across brands, functions, and geographies in a matrixed organization where collaboration is essential and silos are actively discouraged.
  • Industry curiosity — genuine interest in the quick-service restaurant industry, consumer trends, franchise models, and the competitive landscape among major QSR players.
  • Intellectual humility — willingness to learn, adapt, and accept feedback. RBI values people who are confident in their abilities but open about what they do not yet know.
  • Bias toward action — preference for candidates who ship results over those who over-analyze. RBI's culture rewards speed and decisiveness when paired with sound judgment.
  • Cultural alignment — embodiment of RBI's stated values: Dream Big, Ownership, Meritocracy, Diversity, Creativity and Innovation, and Authenticity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What ATS does Restaurant Brands International use for job applications?
RBI uses Workday as its applicant tracking system, accessible at rbi.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com. The front-end career site at careers.rbi.com is powered by Phenom, which provides the search and discovery experience before routing applications into Workday for processing, screening, and hiring-manager review.
How long does the RBI hiring process take from application to offer?
The typical hiring timeline at RBI is two to four weeks from first interview to offer. The full process from application submission to offer can extend to four to six weeks depending on the seniority of the role and the number of interview rounds required. Glassdoor data indicates an average of approximately 28 days.
What is Restaurant Brands International's Leadership Development Program?
The LDP is RBI's flagship early-career rotational program designed for top-performing undergraduates. Participants take ownership of a key business project selected by senior leadership, receive mentorship and formal performance reviews, and present their final recommendations to a Brand President. The program covers functions including marketing, finance, supply chain, technology, operations, and communications. Top-performing interns frequently receive return offers for full-time positions.
What should I wear to an RBI interview?
RBI's office culture is business casual, and most interviews (conducted via video or in-person at the Toronto or Miami offices) follow this standard. For initial rounds, erring slightly more formal — such as a blazer with smart trousers — is a safe choice. Subsequent rounds with peers tend to be more relaxed. Virtual interviews should still maintain a professional appearance from the waist up.
Does RBI hire for remote or hybrid positions?
RBI offers a mix of in-office, hybrid, and some remote roles depending on the function and location. Corporate roles in Toronto and Miami typically follow a hybrid model with regular in-office days. Technology and analytics positions may have more flexibility. Check the specific job posting on careers.rbi.com for the work-arrangement details, as policies vary by team and geography.
How important is restaurant industry experience when applying to RBI?
Direct QSR or restaurant industry experience is valued but not required for most corporate roles. RBI hires from diverse backgrounds including consumer goods, consulting, financial services, and technology. What matters more is demonstrating genuine curiosity about the restaurant industry and showing you have researched RBI's brands, competitive landscape, and business model during your interviews.
What is the 'ownership mentality' that RBI emphasizes in its culture?
Ownership mentality is a core RBI value inherited from 3G Capital's operating philosophy. It means employees are expected to treat business challenges as if they were building their own company — taking initiative, being accountable for outcomes, and thinking beyond their immediate role. RBI reinforces this through compensation structures that enable meaningful equity participation, so employees literally become owners of the business as they grow.
What types of case studies should I expect in RBI interviews?
Case studies at RBI are practical and business-focused rather than abstract consulting-style frameworks. You might be asked to evaluate a franchise expansion opportunity, model unit economics for a new product launch, develop a marketing strategy for one of the four brands, or analyze operational efficiency data. For the LDP super day, candidates deliver a formal case presentation to senior leaders. Preparation should focus on QSR industry fundamentals, basic financial modeling, and structured problem-solving.
Does RBI sponsor work visas for international candidates?
RBI does hire international talent and has sponsored work visas in the past, particularly for specialized technology, finance, and leadership roles. Visa sponsorship availability varies by role, location, and business need. The Toronto headquarters benefits from Canada's relatively streamlined work-permit process for skilled workers. Check the specific job posting or ask your recruiter during the initial screen for the most current sponsorship policy.
How can I stand out as a candidate at Restaurant Brands International?
Three things consistently differentiate strong RBI candidates: first, demonstrating quantified business impact in your resume and interview responses rather than listing responsibilities; second, showing genuine passion for the restaurant industry by referencing specific brand initiatives, menu innovations, or competitive dynamics; and third, embodying the ownership mentality by sharing examples where you took initiative beyond your defined role to drive results with limited resources.

Open Positions

Restaurant Brands Intl currently has 106 open positions.

Check Your Resume Before Applying → View 106 open positions at Restaurant Brands Intl

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